Improvement in night-lamps



T. W. HOUCH-I N.

Lamp Burner;

Patented May 6, 1862.

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N "ETERS. PlvowLflhngrapber. vlamingmr. D.c

UNITED STATES PATENT CEFIcE.

THOMAS \V. HOUCHIN, OF MORRISANIA, NEW' YORK.

lMPROVEMENT IN NIGHT-LAM PS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 35,154, dated May 6, 1882.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. HOUCHIN, of )Iorrisania, in the county of \Vestchester and State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction and Operation of Night-Lamps for Burning Tapers of \Yax or Composition; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and correct description of my invention, reference being had to the accompai'iying drawings, making a partof. this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Illigure 1 is a view of my improved nightlamp ready for use; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same Fig. 3, A shows the taper, formed of wax or composition, showing the wick insorted in the same and supported by the wicksustainer; B, a view of lamp for holding the taper, cut vertically to show the position of the circular plate used with the same; 0 are two views of the wick-sustainer employed when wax or composition tapers are used; I) is a top elevation showing the positions of the taper, lamp, and wick-sustainer; Fig. 4, avertical section of wick-sustainer employed when oil is used; Fig. 5, top view of the same supported by the circular float.

Similar letters of reference designate like parts of the invention in the drawings.

The nature oi my invention consists (a) in the construction and operation of 'an improved lamp for burning wax or composition tapers or oil, as hereinafter shown and described; (o) in the construction and operation of an improved wick-sustainer, as hereinafter set forth.

To enable those skilled in the arts tomake and use my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

A shows a stand for supporting the lamp used for burning wax or composition tapers or oil, which stand A maybe made of various forms of tin or any suitable metal, and provided at its bottom with the recess B.

C shows a lamp of glass, porcelain, or other suitable material, the bottom of which is made concave, in which lamp C the wax or comp0- sition taper or oil is placed. The advantage arising from the use of the lamp is that the paper covering the outside of the taper may be removed therefrom instead of being consumed with the same, as heretofore.

D shows a circular plate of metal placed in the bottom of the lamp 0, upon which plate the wax or composition taper rests, and which plate D prevents the wick from coming in contact with the bottom of the lamp C.

E shows the wax or composition taper placed within the lamp, as shown in Fi 2.

F shows a shade attached to the stand A and used for the purpose of shading the light.

(b.) The second part of my invention consists in the construction and operation of the sustainer employed for supporting the wick used with the wax or composition taper or with oil. The wick-sustainer I propose most generally to employ consists of the concave circular piece of metal shown in Fig. 3, (l, of the drawings, provided with the central opening, as at a, through which the wick is passed, and

which sustainer has a portion of its periphery,

as at Z), bent up sufficiently to form an opening in the same, in which the lower or bottom end of the wick rests. In punching the center opening, as at a, the portions of the metal turned up are allowed to remain and form lips or ears 0 for gripping and retaining the wick in the body of the taper. The peculiar advantage arising from the construction of the wick-sustainer thus is that the wax is necessarily entirely consumed and none can be wasted.

In cases where it is desirable to consume oil, eitherin the recess B of the standAor in the lamp C, I employ the wick-sustainer constructed as shown in Figs. 4-. and 5, in combination with a float of cork or other suit-able m aterial,.(marked as J Through the upper portion of the sustainer (marked 1) the wick is passed, supported and allowed to rest upon the lower portion, formin g a resting-bar, (marked (1,) in such a manner that the wick cannot slip down, and that the oil may have free access to the same.

Operation: The recess B of the stand A is filled with water to keep the bottom of the lamp C cool. The lamp C is placed in the stand A, resting upon the top of the recess B. The wick is passed through the center of the wax or other material to be burned and supported by the wick-sustainer, as shown, the

shade F placed in position, and the lamp is ready for use. XVhen desired to employ oil instead of wax or composition, the wick-sustainer I, Fig. at, is used.

By thus constructing and operating my improved night-lamp I produce an article of great utility and economy, and one particularly adapted to the objects for which night-lamps are used. 1

Having thus described my invention, wha I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The use or employment of a wick-sustainer constructed as shown in Fig. 3, O, for the purpose specified.

THOS. w. I-IOUGHIN.

In presence of- A. SIDNEY DOANE, A. TURNER. 

